


I'll Speak a Little Louder (I'll Even Shout)

by AdessoFaSilenzio



Category: Eerie Crests (Webcomic)
Genre: F/F, Gardening!, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 12:10:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10741449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdessoFaSilenzio/pseuds/AdessoFaSilenzio
Summary: The botany club has successfully published a compendium on succulents, and its President and Vice President are trying to prepare gifts for all members. If only they weren't continuously being interrupted by a nosy baseball team.





	I'll Speak a Little Louder (I'll Even Shout)

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSIE!! We love you and are so glad you're here with us! <3
> 
> This playlist is what I wrote to and comprises every song mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi8FdyrKnPToBw5DPO-4t4EnfgoETk_S1
> 
> Here's a few guides if you want to see all the succulents named: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/24/d6/a1/24d6a1ae9e33bc7d5b4cadefbb164102.jpg  
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/48/b3/d5/48b3d5b65fbc14ee5a97f69664d84522.jpg  
> https://www.aspca.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_image_300x200/public/field/image/plants/haworthia.jpg?itok=aL-kmyAR  
> http://worldofsucculents.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Sedum-burrito-Burro%E2%80%99s-Tail-Baby-Donkey-Tail1.jpg  
> http://image.cleveland.com/home/cleve-media/width960/img/plain-dealer/photo/2016/01/03/jade-bloom-mihecojpg-3390b89ca3d37857.jpg

Poppy was twirling her favorite cd around her finger when Dallas opened the door to the greenhouse. She had a large pink bubble in front of her nose and mouth that burst as he gave her a raised eyebrow, and she grinned at him around the sticky mess it made of her face. Dallas already had his apron tied around his waist - the soft pattern of large forget-me-nots clashing with his green shirt - and there was a smear of soil on his cheek from where he had undoubtedly tried to shove his hair back without first taking off his gloves. Poppy chewed the gum back into her mouth as she pushed past him into the humid garden.

Willow Grove was a rich kid school. The baseball team had warm weather  _ and _ cold weather uniforms. The football team all had custom under armour so they always matched - three colors: pale blue for home games, “vegas gold” for away, and jet black for playoffs. They were the opposite of jersey colors depending on location, and they looked  _ sharp _ . Most of the students’ families were loaded enough to afford this without batting an eye, and there were very few exceptions. So it only made sense that  _ all _ of the extracurriculars would be tediously cared for and over the top. The greenhouse itself was massive, with potting benches aligned like the desks in the science labs, two stools per tabletop, and lush greenery hanging from the rafters. The day was bright, but inside everything held a tealish hue like they were under the surface of a Caribbean ocean; it was thanks to the various ivys and the slightly steamed glass that comprised the structure.

Dallas had been elbow deep in the middle of repotting a not-so-small army of succulents as a gift for the botany club. They’d worked hard throughout the school year to illustrate and dissect and care for the bunch; their end goal was to create and publish a compendium of the division, and they had  _ succeeded _ . The first copy would be coming to the school library over summer break, and the second and third copies would be going to the president and vp - Dallas and Poppy respectively. Poppy herself wasn’t so good with plants, but she loved the feeling of getting her hands dirty and caring for something so small and delicate but also so  _ durable _ . She adored feeling their energy and knowing they would survive the harsh weather just like her friends would. Dallas, on the other hand, was naturally great with plants. He struggled academically for sure, but put him on the field or in a garden and he positively  _ thrived _ . Baseball and botany, Dallas Margolin’s fortes. 

Poppy loaded the cd into the player that hung from the wall and would pump the music through the speakers that littered the nursery. She clicked through a handful of songs until she found the one she wanted and didn’t wait for the sound to actually begin before she was dancing her way over to her friend, who watched her with a bemused smile. He helped her tie on her yellow apron while she pulled on an oversized pair of moss green gloves that swallowed her arms up to the elbows. Twinkling sounds filled the greenhouse, soft and airy, and Dallas snorted over Poppy’s shoulder. Of course she would be listening to Fleetwood Mac - a 90s lesbian icon. It was so fitting for her aesthetic. Poppy was wiggling still as Dallas tied her apron strings into a neat bow, but he managed his best and then settled a small terra cotta pot into her palm. It had some soil inside, but there was also enough room for the plant to bed. She just had to pick which one was going to come out of its even  _ tinier  _ pot to go into this one. 

Sara waltzed into the greenhouse right as Stevie began singing, nymph voice serenading the ivy that hung from the rafters and the ferns and the people alike. She turned her face toward the speakers for a split second before glancing back down at the pair with confused amusement. Poppy was just picking up a Kip and rubbing her fingers against the roots to break loose the old soil, but when she saw the blonde she broke out into a grin. “Don’t make fun of me!” She half-whined as Sara came around the bench.

“She’s been listening to this same song on repeat for  _ days. _ ” Sara explained to Dallas when he gave her a raised brow over the length of the wooden table. She had leaned her hands on the bench and was watching Poppy with distant interest as she plopped the tiny plant into the new  pot and reached for the bag of soil on the shelf by her knees. “Dally, we have extras, don’t we?” she asked in a voice sugary sweet and faux-innocent, eyes never leaving the task at hand. Like she really needed to ask, though… They were surrounded by a sea of miniscule leaves, break-offs from other larger plants that were then rooted or leftovers from their project. Dallas and Poppy had been given the school’s credit card and a budget way above realistic, and they had… gone a little wild with it. But they had a full book to show for it and the graduation accolades that would get them into a good college if they wanted to go for that… Poppy had been trying to get Dallas to apply if only as a fallback, but he had his eyes set on MLB and wasn’t looking away. 

“Of course we do.” He offered a smile to Sara as he potted a few Pekinese and set them to the side. “We’ve got more than we could  _ ever _ need.” He knew Poppy was going to give one to her - expected it, honestly - but it was still surprising to him when swayed onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to Sara’s gently as she pushed the Kip into her hands. Dallas flushed and looked away, busying himself by moving onto a cluster of Pumilum and carefully extracting them from their outgrown clay cages. Sara sighed quietly as Poppy went back to flat foot, but the smile on her face was peaceful and adoring. “Thanks babe.” She hummed, holding up the plant and inspecting it closely. “I hope my window has enough sunlight for this little guy…”

“Oh wait!” Poppy snatched the thing out of Sara’s hands so quickly it left the blonde blinking in her wake. She set it back on the table and reached under to the shelf again, extracting a bag of top dressing pebbles and dipping her hand in. She pressed them down around the plant with just the tip of her tongue sticking out from between her lips, then handed it back to its new owner, beaming. Dallas loved seeing her this happy. Not that Poppy wasn’t naturally happy anyway, but this was… extra happy. It was nice. “Okay. Don’t water it for at least two days, got that?” She ordered Sara with ease and hip cocked. “If you give it root rot I’ll be so mad!” Sara did nothing more than smirk and sweep down for another chaste kiss. “Got it. Two days. You can come visit him this weekend if you want.”

Dallas rolled his eyes, wondering how long they were going to stand there and flirt while he did all the work, but Poppy ushered Sara away just a few seconds later with the excuse that she was “too distracting and I need to get this done.”

They’d just barely gotten through the first chorus of the song, and by the time the second started Blake and Tyler were opening the door. They looked a little startled to see people already inside, and Tyler pursed his lips in a telltale guilty sign. They’d probably been looking for a place to make out or something. Poppy shot Dallas a look that screamed  _ busted these morons _ , but smiled at them anyway. Blake pretended he hadn’t been caught red handed. “We heard noise and wanted to see what was going on.” He looked over the army of succulents with a craftily created judgemental stare before looking up at Dallas. “Why so many plants?”

He could have been snippy. He really could have. But he was in a good mood and Fleetwood Mac was still playing in the background, and Dallas figured he had to learn to pick his battles at some point. “We wanted to make sure we had enough to give everyone we could think of  _ plus _ some.”

Blake had opened his mouth to say something in retaliation, but came up short when Dallas held out a soft red Firebird in offering. He stared at the plant for a long moment, Tyler looking over his shoulder but also glancing around at the other ones, before gingerly accepting. “Do I get one, too?” Ty asked curiously, and Poppy laughed to herself. “Of course, silly.” She admonished lightly, waving a hand palm up over the selection. “Which one’re you eyeing?”

It took him a moment before Tyler finally pointed to a dark-tipped Mahogany they had yet to replant. “That one. It’s so small… smol.” He gave Blake a Cheshire grin as he enunciated the “o” sound, and Blake rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Gimme a break with the memes this isn’t the group chat!” He complained right as Dallas reached for the plant and said “yeah, lemme just get it in its new home.” Tyler leaned heavily against Blake but tracked Dallas’ movements as he rehoused and handed his new leafy pet over. The smile that broke out over his face was bright and sunny, and he exclaimed “thanks Margo!” with enough fervor that Poppy covered the Betty she was potting as though it had ears. “Shush, Beaumont,” she teased, “the babies are sleeping.”

The pair toddled out with their plants right as Everywhere turned into Gypsy, and Dallas pushed his hair back with his wrist again. He had yet to be informed that there was soil on his face, but at least it wasn’t compost or manure. 

They kept at it for a few minutes before the greenhouse door opened again and Charlie came in. Poppy already had a Red Beauty in hand by the time she said “rumor has it you two are giving out gifts?”

She stayed for awhile, chatting with the two about baseball and their having become “accomplished authors”. She even dragged on an extra pair of gloves and helped out until her phone rang and she excused herself to go catch her ride home. “They look good, guys! Keep up the good work!” she offered in parting, holding up her plant in the doorway as though it were a glass of champagne and she were Gatsby toasting a party. Ben passed her on the way out, fiddling with his hearing aid before nodding once and tucking it back against his ear. “Yo!” He greeted casually, sidling up to the bench and leaning over to give Poppy a hug. Ben was actually part of the botany club, and was only privy to the presidents’ surprise because they’d had to skip baseball practice in order to get it all ready. “Which one’s mine?” He asked with anticipation apparent in his eyes, looking up from the plants to Dallas. “Margo, dude, you’re filthy. You’re gonna have worms coming out of your hair if you don’t take a shower after this.” 

Dallas rolled his eyes and huffed a “thanks Ben. As loving as always.” Still, he held up one of the more rare succulents they had, a small Haworthia he’d just set aside. Ben had done a lot with this kind, sketching it for hours on end to make sure it looked perfect and had an in-depth description of appearance to boot.  _ “Nice.” _ he pumped his fist while the other hand accepted the present. “I was planning on stealing one of these if you didn’t let it go without a fight.” 

Again, Poppy had to kick someone out because they were too distracting. 

The worked in silence through at least two songs before Poppy smiled up at Dallas guiltily and asked “would you be pissed if I restarted the cd? I actually really like the first few songs we didn’t listen to.”

Dallas have her a pointed stare and retorted “you just wanna hear Everywhere again, don’t you?” But they both knew it was his assent, and Poppy yanked her dirty gloves off to be able to press the buttons of the player with ease. Even Dallas had to admit that there was something about Rhiannon that made him want to sway and sing.

Phoebus and Ari popped their heads in as Poppy was returning to the bench, and she waved them inside. “I take it the entire team knows about the plants going around?” She questioned rhetorically, already knowing the answer. Phoeb’s sheepish smile told the pair everything they needed to know while Ari just shuffled over to the bench and looked their options over. “If Blake gets one we want one too.” they explained deadpan with a quick shrug. “And Parker’s out sick, so we’ve gotta take one to him too.” They looked up at the music changed again before fixing Poppy with a knowing stare. “Haven’t you been listening to this for like, weeks now?”

Poppy shoved a group of Allionii into their arms and said “shush your mouth” as Dallas and Phoebus laughed at them. Phoebus picked up a small cluster of Ashes of Roses and weighed it against the Sedum hybrid the entire club had been so fond of. With a grin, Dallas said “that one’s called a Donkey Tail Burrito. I kid you not. It’s even in the book.” He had to admit that he loved the way Phoebus gaped at that, Ari’s wide eyes turned on the little plant as well. Simultaneously they both said “I want that one.”

Just like that, Dallas leaned over the bench and plucked it out of Phoebus’ grasp. Poppy would have done the same, but her wingspan was a little shorter and she probably wouldn’t have reached. “That one’s for  _ Parker, _ ” she warned them with a pointed finger as Dallas pretend glared. “We’re gonna hand this back now, and if I hear he didn’t get this  _ specific _ plant I’m coming after both of you. Got it?”

They both knew it wasn’t an empty threat and nodded their understanding. Ari took the plant this time, looking at it with fascination. “They’re all so small…” they murmured about the leaves before looking up at Phoebus and smiling slightly. “But ours match, so that’s cooler anyway.”

Satisfied, they left Dallas and Poppy to their work and went to drop off Parker’s gift (and homework).

Poppy didn’t bother skipping Everywhere when it came back on, despite Dallas sending her a look of exasperation. She just grinned and reached over him for more top dressing before settling back into the task in front of her. They worked in amiable silence for a while, broken only by Poppy’s soft lilt of lyrics here and there and swaying while moved their repotted plants to another bench to give themselves more room.

Dreams was just coming on as the greenhouse door opened yet again. Malek’s easy smile greeted them, dimples denting his cheeks when he saw his best friends. “Want some help?” he asked thoughtfully, not bothering with an apron but picking up the gloves Charlie had worn before. “Dally, you’ve got dirt on your face.” He set the gloves back down and moved around the bench in order to reach out and wipe the soil from Dallas’ reddening cheek. They’d been close like this plenty of times, but something in the way Malek focused in on his skin and Poppy watched with a dreamy look in her eyes made him blush and blubber. “Th-thanks.” he stuttered, eyes falling from Malek’s down to the table. Malek himself stayed crowded in Dallas’ space for just a moment before finally retreating back to his own side of the potting bench. Dallas felt like the temperature in the room had risen at least 10 degrees, but he wasn’t planning on saying anything. Instead, he let Malek put on the gloves and get to work on repotting some of the succulents.

They chatted about baseball and their book and cryptids for the length of at least four songs before Sara came on and they turned instead to teasing Poppy. She continuously insisted they shut up before she beat them up, but the blush on her face betrayed how enamored she was.

Just as they finished, the cd did the same, and the trio looked tiredly at one another. “Sleepover this Friday?” Malek asked with raised brows as he peeled his gloves off. “I’ll supply the pillows if someone else’ll supply the house.”

Dallas nodded in agreement, offering his own before turning around so Poppy could untie his apron. “I’ll ask mom, but I know she won’t care. You can go on, we just have to close the place up.” Malek was their ride, but it would be easier if he pulled the jalopy from the student parking lot to the front of the school. Malek hummed an okay and turned to head out before Poppy picked up a dusty looking red and green succulent. “Don’t forget this!” She reminded him sweetly, holding out the plant for Malek to take. Mel looked at the plant for a second before accepting and holding it up to inspect. “I love it.” He mumbled, pleased. When he looked back down, Dallas was also holding up a tiny pot. “Take this one, too.” He instructed with just the corners of his lips turned upward. “It’s a ‘thanks’ for helping us out.”

Malek accepted both and was barely outside earshot when Dallas crumpled on the soil-covered bench. “Really, Pops?” he lamented with tortured eyes as Poppy doubled herself over, gasping for breath between laughs. “What?” She retorted, leaning heavily against the tabletop with one arm and holding her stomach with the other. “You gave him a jade plant, you sap. Don’t you even say  _ like his eyes _ because I’ll barf. I swear I will.”

“Yeah,” Dallas bequeathed, straightening to wipe the dirt off of his clothes and start clearing the bench so it could be pristine for tomorrow. “But you gave him a  _ Dallas. _ ”


End file.
